Shot Through the Heart
by Marjorie K. Place
Summary: Natalie and Will are thrown together when Dr. Manning finds herself at the wrong place at the right time. Manstead.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first attempt at a MED fic and I blame my writing partner Child of Loki for it. :). She and I started watching the different Chicago Series at the same time and well it's a taken a bit of a hold on me. A few things if you've never read my fics: I enjoy peril/hurt/comfort but not death. My favorite MED characters are Natalie, Will, and Clarke. I adore Clarke from his stint on Fire and Will for his red hair. Yes, I'm hoping for a Manstead pairing. :)**

It was crazy how the littlest things circulated through the hospital grapevine. But given the ritual meeting place that was Molly's it wasn't all that surprising. Even when nothing in particular was happening the smallest things were misconstrued like the way Jeff Clarke was looking at Sarah Reese. Did they have a thing? Then there was Nina Shore she looked especially giddy today. She was holding her left hand talking to Maggie made Dr. Natalie Manning wonder if Will had stepped up and proposed (no offense to Nina, but Will wasn't the marrying type). More power to her if she had ended up being the one who managed to get him to settle down.

Jeff and Will, they both seemed happy in their respective relationships and Natalie was happy for them or at least she tried to be. Two men, one she had been with and one she wanted to be with. Yet, she had pushed them both away.

She watched Sarah and Nina for a moment more and then forced her gaze away. Her chest was growing tight and heart was beginning to hammer. Over the past year, she'd come to recognize the onset of stress induced cardio myopathy or more correctly, broken heart syndrome.

This was silly. She had done her grieving so why was she afraid of it coming back now? She had made her piece with losing Jeff (Manning), had tried to move on with Clarke and was content to keep her ever growing feelings for Halstead at bay.

Closing her eyes she took in breath and blew it out slowly before fingering the rim of her wine glass.

"You want another one?" Natalie looked up into the big brown eyes of Gabriella Dawson and smiled. The firefighter/bar owner had something that the doctor could only dream about: a healthy husband that loved her unconditionally. God Willingly, Gabby and Matt would have the opportunity to grow old together.

"No, two's my limit. I've got an early shift tomorrow."

"That sucks," Gabby said, palming the bar. "So, I'm sorry that things didn't work out with you and Clarke."

"Jeff's a great guy," Natalie said, reaching for her purse so that she could pay her tab. "He was exactly what I needed when I needed it and I'll never forget that. But now it's time for both of us to move on." She handed Gabby a twenty. Her words must have sounded so selfish, but there really wasn't any other way to explain it. Jeff Clarke had helped the hole in her heart to close, making her realize that something more than a lifetime of grief was waiting for her. For that she would be forever thankful.

"Well, for what it's worth, I think he needed you too." Gabby said forcing the doctor to look over her shoulder just in time to see Clarke's hand slide over Sarah's.

"Sarah's lucky." Natalie hopped off of the barstool and headed for the door.

The arctic chill of the Chicago winter bit through her jeans and slapped at her face. Crossing her arms over her chest, she started down the street to her car. As luck would have it, Molly's was packed forcing her to park about half a block down and around the corner from the entrance.

A voice called out to her as she approached her white Volvo XC-60. It was Will Halstead. Smiling, she looked up him. For the moment, she was thankful he was facing her blocking the harsh wind. A small sprig of his flaming auburn hair stood up, tousled to wrong side and Natalie had a sudden urge to push it back into the its proper place.

"I thought you were working an all-nighter," she said, keeping her hands to herself.

Will shoved his hands into his coat pocket, dipping his head . "I got into an argument with a patient's family so Goodwin sent me home early."

"Oh ouch," Natalie made a face. "What happened?"

She watched his face light up into a bit of a mischievous grin. "As it turns out, I knew the patient's sister when I lived in New York. She was a patient of mine and we-"

He drifted off for a moment. "We sort of dated."

"I'm beginning to see the picture."

She watched him frown and cock his head. "No, I don't think you do."

"Then explain it to me."

"No offense, but you look like you don't want to hear it." There was a bit of bite to his tone, one that she recognized. It felt like he was starting to unconsciously take everything out on her again. He'd stopped for a while, but lately it seemed like he'd started back up again.

"I'm just really cold. But we can get into my car and talk if you like," She watched him quirk his mouth to one side, debating.

"Nina's waiting inside and you probably need to get home to Owen." There was truth in that. Natalie had promised the babysitter she would be home by midnight, but seeing Will had just been raked over the coals by Goodwin it might be worth the cost of a little overtime in order to preserve their friendship.

Now it was her turn to give him a quirky grin. "I have to warm up the car anyways," she said, of the ice that had formed on her windshield. "It'll be at least a fifteen minute wait." The truth was she would rather have his company than to sit in freezing car all alone. If she would have been smart she would have turn on the engine half a block ago

"I'll scrape the ice off for you and you can be on your way to Owen in ten," he promised, moving towards the passenger side.

Natalie stepped off the curb and immediately felt her stomach plummet as she noticed the driver's side rear tire. "Crap!" she had a flat.

"Wait a minute. Did you just say just say crap?" Will looked at her a bit bemused and automatically she felt her face flush. Was it really so surprising to him that he needed to point out her swearing?

"It's cute, Nat, really but there has to be reason."

"I have a flat tire." She held out her hand as he stepped off the curb and circled around.

Let me help you change it," He said, rubbing his chin.

For some stupid reason, she felt her face burn with embarrassment. Ok, so it wasn't a stupid reason. It was obvious he was trying to be chivalrous. But there was a part of her that really couldn't envision him changing a tire in the ice and snow. "I can't let you do that."

"Of course you can, it'll only take a few minutes."

"But I don't have a spare." She confessed letting her eyes drift to the front tire. It had been a hard winter and she'd been meaning to get it replaced but with her schedule and having to take care of Owen, she hadn't had the time.

"Ok…then, you can take my car." Will chuckled, fishing out his keys. "I can ride home with Nina and in the morning I'll pick up a spare and we can trade cars at work.

"No, Wil…"

"I'm not taking no for an answer." He took her hand into his and placed the keys to his BMW Z4 in her palm. It was a sweet ride. One she'd though he'd been meaning to sell to offset his financial issues which were supposedly his reasoning for moving in with Nina so quickly.

She couldn't help but flash her best smile as she gave up her own. "Thank you."

"I'll help you get the car seat." He started to move towards the back of the car and she touched his arm.

"It's ok, I have a spare one at home." She held onto his arm longer than she meant to their eyes meeting. Will Halstead had the most mesmerizing set of brown eyes she had ever seen. Every time she looked at them they seemed to capture her, peeling back walls.

"Ok, see you tomorrow then," he said, glancing down at her hand.

"See you tomorrow," she replied, letting another smile meet her eyes as they parted. Taking a step forward, a large hand touched her shoulder.

"Hey, Nat. Don't wreck my car."

"I'll try not to," she was grinning as she crossed the street in the direction of the handsome midnight colored BMW, it's hue, shining underneath the streetlight. Clicking the auto-unlock, she laughed as a hand came down on her shoulder once again.

"You don't have to worry about your-" Natalie turned around and gasped. All she could see was the long barrel large gun pointed straight at her face.

Oh God!

"You Will Halstead's girl?" Wordlessly, she shook her head. She wanted to scream but nothing but terrified squeaks were coming out. She tried to glance over the man's shoulder for any sign of Will but he was too tall. Will was probably safe and warm inside of Molly's cozy up to Nina with a drink in hand.

"How come you drivin' his car then?" She opened her mouth but it was his words that came out.

"Don't matter." In one fluid movement, the gunman pressed his forearm into her throat, pinning her against the car, the hand with the gun slipping to her abdomen. Natalie heard the ping of the bullet tearing through the car door before she felt the blinding pain.

It had gone straight through her stomach and exited out her back.

"HEY!" A shout exploded and suddenly, she was sinking to the asphalt. The sound of her assailant's shoes were pounding down the street.

"Dr. Manning? Jesus!" A pair of hands touched her and Natalie looked up into the kind but worn face of Christopher Herrmann. Her jaw quivered, she was still too paralyzed with fear to speak. She lifted her hands, but they were shaking so badly that she couldn't move them properly.

"Hang, Doc, just hang on," The veteran firefighter, removed his coat and shoved over her stomach, guiding her hands. "Put pressure on this. I don't have my phone, but I'm going to go back to Molly's and call for help."

"M-my…my ph-phone's in my purse," she finally managed, shifting her eyes to where her Michael Kors tote sat inches from her head.

Christopher reached for her bag. "My wife, Cindy, would kill me if she knew I went through your purse. But don't worry, the ambo is on its way." There was pause as he called 9-1-1. "I'm going to call Dawson too. There's a lot of a good people inside who know a lot more about gunshot wounds than I do. "

Natalie nodded squeezing her eyes shut. When she opened them again, Will, Clarke, Sarah, Nina and Dawson were all huddled around her. Clarke's hands had taken the place of Herrmann's, sinking deep into her stomach.

She groaned as Will pressed his fingers into the side of her neck and then clutched her face.

"Stay with me, Nat. You hear me?"

Somehow she managed to nod, but she was fading. Reaching up, her hand curled around his larger wrist.

"S-Sorry a-bout your c-car."

Will cracked a small smile. "We'll talk about that later. Right now-"

Tired. She felt so tired. She didn't want to release the grip on his arm but unconsciously, her arm dropped and everything went black.

"Natalie?" The tips of Will's fingers dug into her cheeks. Forcing her eyes open, she saw two of him.

"Owen," she whimpered, fighting the darkness. "I need to get-"

"Maggie's on it," Clarke's voice floated over the din of the quite hum that had started in her ears. Natalie blinked again and Will was handing Maggie her car keys. Owen would be in good hands with the charge nurse until Helen could be notified.

Will tilted her head a little, recapturing her attention. "See we've got everything taken of. Owen is safe and so are you. We're going to get you to MED and I'm going to patch you up."

"Where's the ambo?" Christopher Herrmann's voice was one that couldn't be missed. The father of five was of one of the most amazing people that Natalie had ever had the pleasure of meeting. He was the kind of man that would give the shirt off of his back to help another human being.

"Accident, skidded on the ice! They have to dispatch another one! " Gabby shouted right before a quite hush blanketed the scene.

What? Deep sleep was starting to claim her. Against her will, her head started to loll until Will jerked it upward, "C'mon, on Natalie don't do this."

Don't do this? How was she supposed to stop it? If this were a mass shooting with limited resources, she would be black tagged already. Abdominal wounds tended to bleed out quickly and although most through and throughs were usually clean, there was still a massive hole in her stomach and in her back. She was too far gone and could feel herself slipping.

"Will..." What was happening? Belligerent pain shot through Natalie's limp body. Will's strong arms were scooping her up. "No worries, Clarke and I've got this. We're taking his truck."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to the few of you who were kind enough to leave a review and to those who put this story on alert. They are a writer's only payment for the effort that goes into creating the story.**

"Hey Nat? Can you still hear me?"

There was many a night when Will had dreamed about holding Natalie in his arms. But not like this. She was pressed up against him. Her head resting on his shoulder while Clarke continued to apply pressure to the oozing wound in her abdomen. Towels from Molly's at the larger exit wound in her lower back separated her from becoming completely flesh with him.

"M' cold," she murmured. He could feel her warm breath up against his neck and even in a situation like this it was intoxicating.

"We're almost there," her hair tickled his nose as he dipped his head slightly to respond. It smelled sweet like jasmine and a hint of honey. It was so wrong for him to be thinking about her hair and her skin, especially with Nina sitting in the passenger's seat of Clarke's truck, glass separating the two of them. But it wasn't intentional. That was just the effect Natalie had on him. Since the first day they'd met he'd been completely smitten with her.

Briefly, he glanced at the back of Nina's blonde head and immediately felt guilty. She deserved better. He'd always been player and even though he was living with Nina his mind still strayed. Most of the times it was to the wounded woman in his arms. At times he found it hard to remain monogamous. Not that he'd ever cheated on Nina. But the thought of the bedding others was still intriguing.

"Can't Otis drive any faster?" Christopher Herrmann had insisted that his business partner and colleague be the one to drive the truck through the icy streets.

"The roads are iced over. He's doing the best he can." Clarke replied, never making eye contact.

"He's a firefighter. Aren't you guys trained to drive in inclement weather?"

A small smile spread across Clarke's face. "Firetrucks still skid on ice."

Damn. The icy wind burned Will's cheeks and he could only imagine how Natalie felt. Transporting a gunshot victim in the back of a pickup in freezing temperatures was less than ideal. But the chances of her bleeding out before they could get quality treatment far outweighed the odds of frostbite and hypothermia. And leave it a group of bar owning firefighters to have a warming blanket stocked with their first aid kit.

The bitter cold was also useful in keeping her awake. Or was it?

"Natalie? Natalie!"

* * *

"Room 3!" April Sexton's eyes were wide when Will met the gurney at the front doors to the E.D. Doubtless, she was looking at the amount of blood that stained his blue chambray shirt and khaki pants. Clarke's too. Their hands and clothing were both covered in Natalie's blood. But none of this mattered as Will went along with the gurney spouting orders.

"Small entry wound to the lower abdominal region. Large exit wound in her back. I need an O.R. STAT and warm blood with a warm transfuser. She lost consciousness on the way over here."

"That's not your call Dr. Halstead." Sharon Goodwin's voice cut through him like a knife as she turned and looked at April. "Dr. Choi will be handing things down here. Dr. Scarborough will be in charge of the surgery."

Scarborough? April's kid brother, Noah, might as well been in charge of the surgery. Will sank his teeth in his bottom lip. Rhoades and Latham were both out of town at surgical conference in Seattle. In their absence, Natalie needed someone who knew their way around an oprating room and had the knowledge on how to treat a massive gunshot wound. She needed him.

"Scarborough is a rookie. I have ten years' experience."

"In reconstructive surgery," Goodwin reminded tersely. "Your job at the moment is as E.D. attending for which you are currently not on duty."

I've dealt with plenty of gunshot wounds since I've been here." Will argued. "I can do this!"

It's not up for debate Dr. Halstead."

"C'mon Mrs. Goodwin, let him at least assist," Will's dark eyes jerked to his left as Clarke tried to plead a case. It was a bold move on the medical student's part. "Scarborough is new and this is one of our own." Clarke added quietly.

Goodwin's eyebrows shot up. "I know exactly who our patient is and I am quite competent that Dr. Scarborough can handle it. Now as for the two of you, Chicago PD will be here soon. I assume they'll want to speak with the both of you." That meant they had to stay just as they were and couldn't clean up until after they'd both been interviewed.

Will watched Clarke give Goodwin a dutiful nod before deciding to fish out his phone and heading towards the doctor's lounge. The only person from Chicago PD he was willing talk to was Jay. Punching the speed dial, he waited as his call went straight to voice mail. "Hey brother sorry to bother you and Erin but I need you. It's bad."

Will was still standing in the doctor's lounge when Jay arrived. "Sorry man, I was working a case. I got here as quickly as I could." Will said, nothing as the younger Halstead took a moment to survey his appearance.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Will said looking down at his bloodied clothing. To Jay it must have seemed alarming. "This is all Natalie's."

"The pediatrician?"

Will brought a hand up his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I leant her the keys to my car and some guy walked up to her and just shot her. The bullet it went all the way through and into my car!"

"Your car?" Jay quirked an eyebrow and doubtless, he was thinking of the selfish version of Will, the Will from New York who had been a player and an irresponsible party animal.

"The bullet went right through her and into the door of my car!"

"Ok, that means she was shot a close range," Jay's head was bobbing up and down now. "Is she alive?"

"She's in surgery. But Goodwin won't let me assist."

Jay pursed his lips. "No offense, but with the way you are right now that might be a good thing."

"What does that mean?" Will shot back.

Jay's lips spread into a smile as he looked around the room to make sure they were alone. "It means as your brother, I know how you feel about Natalie."

"Dr. Manning is my friend that's all."

"C'mon Will it's me."

Will let out a long sigh shaking his head, he wasn't about to say anything that would validate Jay's suspicions because that would mean that his feelings for Natalie were still real. He had a life with Nina now (a life that he was trying to love).

"Can you catch the guy that did this?" He tossed out trying to tear his thoughts from his live-in girlfriend.

"I can get Intelligence right on it. But first I need to know everything you saw and did."

"I didn't see anything. I gave Natalie my keys and walked off. Chris Herrmann is the one who found her laying in the street, while I was-" Will had to lower his head as Jay's hand fell to his shoulder. All Will could think of was quickly he' wanted to get inside to a cold beer.

"It's not your fault."

Will's head popped back up. "I should have walked her to the car, done something."

"Then it might be you in that operating room instead of Natalie and losing Mom I don't think I could handle that." Jay said, giving his shoulder a squeeze

Will took a step back. "I know what you're trying to do and that doesn't make me feel any better." More than anything he wished that he'd been the one to take that bullet. Seeing Natalie bleeding out in the middle of street had absolutely gutted him.

"I know but you're my brother and as cop I can promise you I will get the guy who did this. But it's going to take a little while. I'm going to need Natalie's statement as soon as she wakes up."

"And if she doesn't wake up?" Will dared to ask as Jay averted his eyes.

"We handle murder cases all of the time. It might take a little longer. But until we know for sure try not to think that way. From what you've told me Natalie is a strong woman. She'll get through this."

"She is," Will said, trying to convince himself that the little piece of his heart that had broken off when Jay said the word murder was nothing. He was just overreacting. Natalie was going to pull through. She had to. "She also plays a mean violin." He added, not sure why those particular words had chosen to spring from his lips. It was one of those weird things that tended to happen when he became anxious. But it was true. Natalie could have easily become a concert violinist instead of choosing to practice medicine. Not that Will would ever admit but she was a woman of many talents.

"You've told me repeatedly," Jay chuckled. "Listen, I'm going to make some call. But I need for you to stay here and tell the patrolmen everything you know. They're going to want to take pictures and bag your clothes. Above all, I need you to stay calm and let everyone else do their jobs. No going off all Halstead on them. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Will felt a sprint of heat blaze up his neck but chose to ignore it. "Thanks, Jay."

The door opened and Jay slipped out with Nina appearing. Her blue eyes were filled with obvious love and concern. Immediately she threw her arms around his neck.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, her hand landing on his chest. Will took the hand into his own when they pulled apart and drew it to his lips. "No, but it will be. Jay's going to work the case."

Nina had perplexing look on her face, "I didn't mean it like that. I meant is everything ok with you?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Will's brow furrowed and Nina retracted her hand, her own brow crinkling.

"Because you leant Natalie the keys to your car and now her blood is on your hands." Will turned toward the counter and grabbed at the coffee pot. Nina was right. Natalie's blood was on _his hands._

"It stings a bit. Natalie's a colleague, a friend,". He flipped open the cupboard and reached for his cup. "You want some coffee? It's going to be a long night."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and the new follows. I so appreciate them. Also thank you to the guest who pointed out my slip with Goodwin's first name. I have no idea what I thinking there. I'll continue to update once a week (wish I could do more).**

 **This chapter is actually two small chapters combined into one with both Will and Natalie's POV. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 3.**

Will paced the confines of the observation suite. It was a little after two a.m. and his insides eating him alive. Some several feet below a newcomer with a fair, but proficient track record was performing surgery on his...

Friend and Colleague?

Isn't that what he had told Nina?

Well that was a lie. The woman who lit up the room with her bright, expressive, ' smile was more than that a little voice whispered. She was...

Mesmerizing.

Even with the majority of her face obscured by the large tube and her eyes taped shut, she was still breathtaking. There was something about her that grabbed his soul and twisted it into knots, holding his heart hostage. God, help him he hoped that it would never let go.

The door opened and he quickly pushed down his thought.

'Maggie?' The queen of the E.D. stepped up beside him a looked down through the wall of glass into the surgical suite. It was a rare occasion that Maggie Lockwood ever left the kingdom that she had been charged with running. But for the moment Will suspected the ED could function without her.

"How's our girl doing down there? Are they taking good care of her?"

"She's holding her own. Her pressure is a little low and she's lost quite a bit of blood but if Scarborough continues on the path he's on she'll pull through with flying colors. "Will said, as Maggie quirked an eyebrow.

"She may not look like it but Natalie's a fighter, watching her lose her husband, being a single mom and still showing up here for work every day. There ain't nothing' that girl can't get through."

"I don't doubt it," Will chuckled. 'I just wish I could take her place down there. I feel so damn responsible."

'Spoken like a man who loves her. "Maggie never looked up from the glass as Will's jaw dropped open.

What?

"You heard me."

Will lowered his head grasping the back of his neck. This time Maggie had it all wrong. He was with Nina now. He loved her. "Natalie and I are just friends"

"Uh...huh...you just keep telling yourself that the next the she smiles at you." Maggie looked down at the pager at her hip. ''By the way, everybody knows that-"

"I like Natalie?" Will finished. One year ago, Maggie had blatantly called him out for being smitten with the pretty pediatrician and unlike Natalie's mother-in law, had encouraged the relationship.

"As I said, just keep telling yourself that." Maggie gave him a look, crossing to the opposite side of the room. "I'll be back to check on you later."

"Oh Hey! What about Owen?"

"Helen's with him now. I told her we'd call her as soon as we had any news."

"You're the best Maggie." He sank down into one of the chairs and focused on the computer monitor. Scarborough and team were contemplating the damage that bullet had done to Natalie's uterus. From the looks of things it was a mess.

"Don't take it out you son of…" Will swore under his breath. "Don't do that to her. You can repair it and then see what the future holds." From his point of view, it was better to leave the female organ intact rather than to sentence his friend with an only child. Baring more children again might become difficult but it was better than surgical menopause.

"C'mon, just clamp off the bleeder, stitch it up and let it go…"

Footfalls sounded from behind him. From the corner of his eye he caught sight of Nina. He didn't want to tear his eyes away from the screen but given the look on her face he had no choice.

"Is what you just said to Maggie true? You have feelings for Natalie?" Nina's voice cracked.

Will averted his eyes. "She told you that?"

"No, I was standing at the door. I heard everything."

A small smile tried to play on his lips but he pushed it aside. "And what did you hear exactly?"

"That you like Natalie and Maggie agreed?"

Will took in a deep breath and blew it out. "What you heard was taken from a conversation that happened a long time ago. I was just-"

The look in Nina's eyes tore at his heart. He wanted to reassure her he really did but something on the monitor pulled him back to Natalie. Scarborough and his team were starting to scurry. They were starting chest compressions.

"Her pressure just bottomed out. She's crashing!" Nina grabbed at his arm as he started to move making him garner his rollercoaster of emotions. The shouting he had just heard was his own.

"Where are you going?" she was pleading for him to stay.

"I'm sorry. But I promise we'll talk later," he swallowed tugging his arm free. He knew exactly where he was going and what he was going to do. He took the short of flight of stairs down to the surgical suite, grabbed a mask and quickly secured it over his face and shouldered the door.

"Dr. Halstead. You can't be in here!" The female surgical attending shouted as she came in behind him all scrubbed in and ready to assist. Dr. Samantha Zanetti was on a brief sabbatical from John Hopkins to assist in the training of hospital's newest round of trauma surgeons. "You need to leave now!"

Will hung back letting Sam brush by him to start barking orders for compressions to stop and Epi to given, followed by electrical shock. The call for clear was given and the paddles were applied to his friend's chest. Natalie's body bounced on the table and was quickly followed by the words normal sinus rhythm.

Nat was back. She was back. A momentary surge of relief flowed through him until his eyes drifted upward. Nina was still in the observation suite, looking down at him shaking her head. Goodwin was standing beside her.

Will dipped his head briefly before calling out to the attending in charge. "Hey, Sam. Performing a hysterectomy should only be done if the uterus can't be saved."

Zanetti looked at Scarborough and then back to Will. "I happen to agree. Now get out of my operating room so I can save my patient."

* * *

Sharon Goodwin picked up a stack of papers and moved them to the opposite side of her desk which was always a tale-tell sign for trouble. "I specifically said that you were not to be a part of Dr. Manning's surgery."

Will stood in front of the large oak desk, his hands clasped in front of him. He was no stranger to this moment. He'd been through this with Goodwin before and knew he was about to be reprimanded. "I wasn't. I just needed a better look."

Goodwin glanced up from her stack of papers, leveling him with her best glare. "You can do better than that Dr. Halstead."

Will turned his head trying to hide the sly smile. "All right. Scarborough was going to perform an unnecessary hysterectomy. I happened to disagree."

Sharon's lips pursed and she straightened. "But that wasn't your call to make and bursting into the surgical suite while Dr. Manning was in cardiac arrest…. I honestly thought we were past of all of this Will. "

"We are. I guess I just lost my head for a moment. It won't happen again." What he'd found with Goodwin was that it was better to be apologetic and say the politically correct words than to argue.

"That's better." Sharon smiled at him, "Now Dr. Zanetti and Dr. Scarborough have both assured me that Dr. Manning will make a full recovery barring any complications and although it goes against my better judgement I've decided to let you be the one in charge of her care until she's able to go home. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"All right then. I believe your patient is in recovery. She should be waking up soon"

* * *

Bitter cold sliced through her flesh. No matter how many warming blankets they threw over her, her body was intent on shutting down. Pain, numbness, none of it seem to matter until warm arms wrapped around her and pulled her back. She took in the aroma of Will's doctorly scent. She would recognize it anywhere. It was a combination of sweat, antiseptic and spicy aftershave. It wasn't as if Will bathed in his aftershave, it was just something she'd picked up when she was pregnant with Owen and it had stuck with her.

There was a needle stick to her arm and she cracked her eyes for a moment, April Sexton's wide irises were looking down at her as she threaded an IV line into Natalie's forearm and she winced before falling back into the darkness.

The world continued to present itself in the form of sensations tied to her existence and not necessarily pleasant ones. Weird dreams and violent flashes of a faceless man pressing a gun into her flesh made for a fitful sleep. Familiar voices would lull her back into a peaceful state but it never lasted. The faceless figure always came back.

 _Are you Halstead's girl?_

She felt a squeeze to her hand. It was soft but not so soft that it couldn't be distinguished as a man's hand. Two palms were pressing her own between them.

When Natalie returned to the here and now her hand went slack, falling to the mattress. A whimper escaped from her throat catching the attention of her current caretaker

"Welcome back," relief was clear in Will's voice and she made a mental note that he was dressed in the trademark maroon scrubs of the ED.

The universe was still fuzzy as he gripped the bed railing, his brown eyes boring into hers. She blinked and managed another whine of protest that had him grinning. It must have been bad she thought using her eyes to plead with him. Reaching over her, he pressed the button to her medication line. Obviously her body wasn't ready to cooperate. She wasn't even certain she could move.

He looked weary but was smiling at her like a fool. His name was nothing but a whisper on her lips but it was loud enough for him to realize her cognitive abilities were at least somewhat intact.

"You know who I am that's a good sign."

"How bad is it?" she said unable to clear the cobwebs from her throat.

His words came out jumbled or maybe it was the fog that was still surrounding her brain. It was hard to tell which. She tried to comprehend what Will was saying but it was hard to take in at this moment. Something about her uterus and her lower bowel she didn't quite catch all of it.

"And your name?"

Her name? She had to think about that. Whatever they were giving her for the pain had quite the hold.

"You know my name, " she squirmed a until something started to pull in her lower abdomen. The harsh tug of staples sent a ripple of fiery pain deep into her core and she cried out.

Will reached out and pressed his hands to her shoulders, once again meeting her gaze. "You've just been through major surgery, humor me a little."

"I'm okay, " she swallowed, listing her head away from him. Already overwhelming guilt reflected in his pretty brown eyes. She vaguely remembered taking his keys and apologizing for the damage to his car. Everything was still so hazy.

'I'll be the judge of that. Can you tell me the month and the year?"

"March. Two thousand seventeen" she said flopping her head back in his direction.

"And your occupation?"

Natalie managed an eye roll. "Physician with a specialization in pediatric medicine. I'm currently doing an E.D. fellowship with you as my attending. I'm from Washington state. Hometown: Seattle. I am a accomplished violinist and I have a one-year-old at home. His name is Owen. I asked you to help me deliver him but you bailed."

Will's cheeks turned pink, "In all fairness your mother in-law ran me off."

"She really does like you," Natalie pressed her palms into the mattress and let out another yelp. How large were the incisions? Not that it mattered at the moment but the greater the incision usually indicated the amount of damage where gunshot wounds were concerned.

"Ninety-six stitches," he supplied, reading her thoughts.

Ninety-six?

''But don't worry after it heals I'll fix the scars free of charge."

She smiled easily at him. She sometimes forgot that prior to coming to the ED that he had worked as a plastic surgeon in a lucrative practice. "I'll hold you to that, " she said, with a hint of grogginess still in her voice. She closed her eyes, drifting off until the image of the faceless man caused her to awake with a start. An alarm went off and she glanced at the monitor, a spike in her heart rate.

"Will?" he was just here? Wasn't he? Panic gripped her. The room was dark save for a dim light over her head. It was then she realized she had zero concept of time and was still under the effects of the anesthesia. She covered her face with her hands. When she removed them Will was there with his brother Jay hanging back in the wings.

'Must have been quite a dream. I'm pretty sure they heard that all the way up on the third floor"

"It wasn't a dream. It was a nightmare."

"And a spike in heart rate. Are you experiencing any chest pain?"

"No, just palpitations," she titled her chin upward as he pressed his fingers to the side of her neck before reaching for his stethoscope, placing it over the thin material of her classic hospital gown.

Will's lips quirked into a sad smile. Just to be safe, I'm ordering an echocardiogram. With your history of cardiomyopathy we're not taking any chances."

"That really isn't necessary, " her protest was weak and his smile grew.

"Maybe not but you're getting the royal treatment per Goodwin's orders. I'll be back in a few minutes with the ultrasound. Until then, my brother, Jay, wants to ask you some questions. Do you think you're be up for that?'

She nodded and uncharacteristically, he touched her face. "Just remember I'm the most charming of the Halstead's."

"He's also the most arrogant, " Jay chimed in switching places with his brother. The CPD detective took out his phone and a stylist undoubtedly so he could take notes. "Can you tell me anything about the shooter?"

Natalie wet her lips, gazing down at the blanket. "He was about six feet and was wearing, dark pants and a grey hoodie that zipped up. The hood was over his head framing his face." She raised her head to Jay and watched him purse his lips.

"Ok, was he White? Asian? African American?"

She looked away. It seemed like such a simple question. Why couldn't she provide him with an answer?

"Dr. Manning?" Jay prompted.

Natalie blew out a tense breath. Her heart was still hammering in both her chest and her ears. "I'm sorry. Do you mind if we continue this later? I'm really not feeling that well."

"Sure," Jay frowned, pocketing his phone. "I'll check in with station and see about arranging for a sketch artist and when you're ready you can let Will know. Until then I'm going to post an officer outside your room."

"What about Will?" The shooter's face may not be clear in her mind but his words mistaking her for Halstead's girl were and if any one needed protection it was Will.

 **A/N: All right I hope I dispelled some of the fear about Will and Nina and how he feels about Natalie. We're getting closer. :). Derek Haas disappointed me today with his Q & A on Twitter so I will be needing some Manstead feels to cheer me up. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and follows for the last chapter.** **Special thank you to Child of Loki for the beta. All mistakes are still mine btw**.

 **Spoiler Alert: There is a mention of Chicago PD's latest episode from 3/22/2017. It's a pretty big one if haven't already seen or heard about it on social media.**

"What do you mean I need to push her?" Will glared at his younger brother and Jay's hands shot up.

"All I'm saying is that the sooner she can give us a profile, the sooner we can start looking for a suspect."

Will raked a hand through his thick auburn hair. He'd already performed a brief neurological exam. Everything pointed to normal cognitive function with the exception of some short term memory gaps. As a general rule, one third of patients of who receive general anesthesia tend to suffer some sort of memory. In Natalie's case, she had also coded on the table.

"What if she can't remember?"

"Make her," Jay grabbed Will's biceps. The tone of his voice sounded suspiciously like the man who oversaw his employment and claimed to be Erin's family. "It's important," he added pulling back.

Will narrowed his eyes in bemusement. "I get that but you handle murder cases all of the time. How do you usually find a suspect?"

"We let the evidence tell us," Jay blew out a tense breath.

"And what is it telling you now?" Will countered.

"That it's possible Natalie wasn't the target." The younger Halstead was eyeing him carefully. To the point that Will almost immediately got his meaning. "The guy didn't take her purse and he wasn't trying to steal your car. As far as we can tell, he just walked up and shot her."

"Maybe, Herrmann scared him off before he could do those things. Maybe the guy's got a grudge against Natalie. People tend to target doctors when they realize we aren't God." Will wanted to be in denial but Jay was shaking his head in protective cop-brother mode.

"He could also be after you."

Will pulled his lips into a tight smile.

"You think he used Natalie to get to me." A knot formed in his stomach. If Jay suspicions were correct, then it was more than just a case of Natalie being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was the reason she'd been hurt.

"Based on what Natalie did tell me, it looks that way." Jay gripped the back of his neck and immediately Will sensed he wasn't going to be pleased with what came next. "I'm sorry, Bro. But I'm going to have to put you in protective custody until this is over. Nina, too. Just to be safe."

"I'm not leaving Natalie." She needed around the clock care and as good as all of their colleagues were he wasn't about to leave her when she was hurt and vulnerable. She needed him even more so now that it sounded like the attack was personal.

"Man, you've got it bad," Jay said with a rueful grin as heat started to sprint up Will's neck.

"So, people keep telling me. I'm in a bad spot here and I don't know how to get out of it."

"In love with two women? That's totally like you," Jay quipped, referring to Will's past. He never had a shortage of female friends or sexual partners. But it wasn't like that this time. Will was truly in love with Natalie and now that she was free he wanted to spend more time with her. But he was also trying to make an honest go of it with Nina.

"Says the man who's hiding out in my house all because you weren't upfront with Erin about Abby."

"You know I love Erin," Jay smiled sadly. "But this isn't about my problems. You're my brother and I'm going to do everything in my power to protect you."

"I appreciate that. But-"

The sound of the intercom cut Will's words short.

 _Dr. Halstead to ICU, Dr. Halstead to ICU._

Natalie.

He needed to get upstairs.

Will's heart started to hammer when he stepped off the elevator and looked across the open area into the glass cubicle that was Natalie's room. She was on the floor! A nurse in blue scrubs was at her side.

"What happened?" He was speaking before he even got the door fully pushed aside. A second later, he was on his knees, tending to his friend. She was on her side, her knees tucked upward, indicating intense pain. Blood was running down her arm from where the IV had come out during the fall.

"I just needed to go to the bathroom." She grimaced, clutching at her tender abdomen.

"We have nurses for that. It's their job to help you." Will glanced upward at the plump blonde on Natalie's opposite side.

"She was already like this when I got here," the young woman defended, tending to Natalie's arm after they helped her to a seated position. The tear in her skin wasn't bad, but from the amount of blood on the floor she had definitely blown the vein.

"Don't worry about it. I've got this." Doctors tended to be the worst patients and Natalie was no exception. He had learned from her short stay with cardiomyopathy that she was the type who refused to let others make a fuss over her. Will finished taping up her arm before gently scooping her up. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he felt his body begin to a hum. This was a quite the contrast to when he picked her and carried to Clarke's truck. He was so focused on saving her life that he didn't have a chance to notice the beautiful woman in his arms. But now…

Even without a stitch of make-up and dressed in nothing but a traditional hospital gown she was still one of the most beautiful creatures he'd ever had the pleasure of laying his eyes on. Even with her blue and green striped fuzzy socks she was perfect.

"You're not supposed to transport patients like this." She smiled as he set her down on the bed and started to fiddle with the blanket and the sheets. Right then and there he knew he was a goner. Even if he wanted to deny his feelings he couldn't.

"You're no ordinary patient."

He watched her cheeks pinken. "I don't want any special treatment."

"Special treatment? I'm thinking about restraining you," he quipped while pulling the blanket up to her lap.

"You wouldn't!"

"No more getting out of bed by yourself," he said, touching her hand. "I'll have a nurse put a catheter back in if I have to. This isn't like before. You have a serious injury this time."

"Believe me, I'm painfully aware." Her smile was tight but it was still the expressive bright smile that he loved. The one that lit her eyes with a sparkle and highlighted her gorgeous brown orbs.

"Then don't turn into one of those patients we hate to treat." Gingerly, his finger started to move across the back of her hand, drawing soothing circles. Her eyes lowered and his followed. He loved the feel of her delicate skin underneath his fingertips.

"So how's Nina taking all of this?" she asked, curling her fingers into a fist. Instantly, Will stopped. The thoughts in his head died, switching to the reality of his personal life. His simple heroic gesture of wanting to save his friend's life had crushed the petite blonde to dust.

"She's concerned about you. Everyone is. We don't want to lose you."

"C'mon Will," her tight smile was back. "Maggie told me how you came into the operating room when I coded. That had to have been hard on Nina."

Yeah…. His cheeks puffed up, blowing out a long stream of air. "She's currently at her grandmother's. She said we needed some space." He'd gone home to change his clothes and found her packing.

"I'm sorry, Will. I didn't mean to cause you-" The look on Natalie's face was genuine.

"You didn't," he said quickly. "This is all on me. Gunshot wound included."

She framed his face in her hands. In that moment, he felt like the world's biggest asshole. He was no longer thinking about his guilt or the damage that had been done to her body. Worst of all he wasn't thinking about Nina. He was thinking about how Natalie and how much he missed the friendship they'd had before he decided to move on with Nina.

"None of this is your fault." She said, pulling away. "It's mine. I should have just called a tow truck. You're trying to make a life with Nina and I keep getting in the way."

What? Will blinked. Suddenly his words were coming out in a rush. "That's not true. When I saw you code on that table all I could think of was that I couldn't lose you."

He watched her turn her head and bite her lip. Great, he'd just complicated things for her. Shoulders sagging he pushed to his feet and crossed to the door.

"So, what are you saying?" He squeezed his eyes shut. Her words stabbed at his chest, like someone taking a scalpel and slicing him open. She wasn't a homewrecker. As much as he wanted to he wouldn't put her through that. If things reached a point where he needed to clear the air with Nina, he would. Nothing had changed save his feelings for Natalie. They'd become more intense.

"You know what I'm saying. If you get out of bed again without assistance you're not going to like what I do." Looking back, he saw her smiling a big toothy smile and knew he'd done a good job of tabling things for now. But this was definitely a conversation that they needed to have later when she was stronger and the threat against them had been resolved. "By the way, Jay said he's going to bring some photos by for you to look at. Maybe it will help jog your memory. Do you think you're up for that?"

Working with the sketch artist had been a bust. So Jay had opted for mug shots of all the patients and family members that Will and Natalie had treated since Will had started at Chicago Med. He also did the same for Will's former practice in New York.

"Nat?" She was staring pensively into the curtain that separated her room from the one next-door.

She blinked as he turned around.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just… I still have to pee," She said distantly.

Will chuckled softly feeling his face go scarlet. It was odd for a doctor to have such a reaction. He'd seen hundreds of women lose bodily fluids both in practice and in his private life. In fact, he was well versed with the female body. So, why was he blushing?

"I'll get you a nurse."

Natalie nodded as he started to move, her words making him freeze in the doorway.

"I care about you too."

Then with a smile, he walked away.

 **A/N: Will Natalie and Will end up in protective custody or will she remember enough to identify the man who shot her? What will happen with Nina and Will now that our heroes have admitted their feelings for one another? Should Will revert back to his old womanizing ways just so he can be with Nat?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Double Update Weekend!**

Natalie frowned as she looked down at puzzling faces. Some of them looked familiar but not to the point that any of them had pulled a gun on her. They were patients that she remembered treating. Some were maybe family members and others she couldn't place at all.

She gave Jay and apologetic smile as she closed the book and pushed back in his direction. Nothing was coming back except the same frightening image. Every time she closed her eyes she saw a faceless man dressed in a grey hoodie.

 _Are you Halstead's girl?_

"Nothing at all?" The detective's lips were pulled into a thin line like he had something more he wanted to say. Not that she could blame him. As much as she wanted to help she was of zero assistance right now. She couldn't remember anything beyond his clothing and the gun.

"I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well," she reached for the medication drip and pressed down hard on the red button as a wave of pain shot through her lower stomach and back. She had definitely over done things by trying to get out of bed on her own. The trek to the bathroom had done more harm than good. To top things off, she'd started to form a tension headache behind her eyes and at the base of her neck.

Natalie jumped as Jay pitched forward, his hand slamming down on top of the mug shot book, "That's what you said last time! I need you to give me something! Will's life could be at stake here!"

"I'm sorry! I'm doing the best I can!" she yelped without regard to her tone or volume. Rose blooms appeared on her cheeks when a Dr. Charles appeared, poking his head into the door.

"Detective Halstead, there's a sergeant Voight for you on the phone at the nurse's station." The days of visitors receiving phone calls at the nurse's station were over but Jay took the cue as if it were true.

"Thank you." He said politely, giving Natalie a sharp glare that made her shrink as he exited the room.

"Still having trouble remembering?" Daniel's voice was empathetic yet probing to the point that Natalie knew what was coming next.

"It's PTSD isn't it?" she said, looking into his compassionate grey eyes. "I have dreams, nightmares. I can hear sounds and feel pain. I just can't remember his face."

"That's perfectly normal," Dr. Charles reached for the pitcher of water on the nightstand and poured her a glass of water. "You've been through a serious trauma and rather than facing the evil again, your mind wants to protect you from it."

Natalie took a swallow of water and handed the glass back to him. "But I'm putting Will's life in danger. The guy was after him, not me!"

"You are not the one responsible. The person who did this to you is," Dr. Charles leaned over pressing the back of his hand to her forehead. "Are you feeling okay? You feel a little warm."

"I just hurt a little," she said dismissively.

"A little?" His bushy eyebrows sprang up putting her on the spot. She should know better than to try and fool an experience doctor of Daniel's stature.

"A lot and I might be running a low grade fever," she admitted watching his mouth quirk into a small grin.

"Doctors. We all like to think that we should be able to treat ourselves. But the truth is we can't. Let me call Dr. Halstead for you," he sighed, reaching for the call button until her hand shot out.

"Please, don't call Will. I've already put him through enough." It was hospital policy that doctors work in twelve hours shifts. With any luck he was at home sleeping. She was also still kicking herself for admitting that she cared about him. It wasn't fair to keep drawing him back in after he'd shared his troubles about Nina.

Dr. Charles straightened, giving her a father knows best look. "It would be unethical for me not to call somebody. How about Dr. Choi? He's right downstairs in the E.D. or Dr. Scarborough? He's still filling in for Dr. Rhodes."

"Call Ethan."

"I'll do that. In the meantime, I'm going to prescribe a sedative and something to help with the PTSD. How about some Prazosin for the nightmares and Fluoxetine to treat your anxiety? Hopefully, the next time Detective Halstead comes back your mind won't be so muddled."

"Thank you." Natalie gave the kindly doctor's hand a squeeze before he reached into his grey lab coat, pulling out his tablet.

"I'd also like to start working with you on some exposure therapy. It'll help you deal with the memories and the flashbacks."

"Can we start today?" She asked in the hopes of dispelling the fact that she felt like an absolute failure.

"Absolutely, I just need to adjust a few things in my schedule." He shoved his tablet back into his lab coat. "You know what also might help?" he added garnering her full attention. "Some time with your son. Have you seen him since this happened?"

Natalie steeled herself. It had been three days since she'd held Owen or even looked at him. The hospital policy of admitting children under the age of fourteen was very strict and she understood why. Owen could contract any multitude of diseases and vice versa. His presence would only serve to place himself and patients at risk.

"I told Helen we needed to wait until I have my own room," she said, feeling a little piece of her heart break off. Against her will her eyes were starting to well with burning tears.

"Technically, you have your own room now." Dr. Charles winked. "But I'll see what I can do about expediting that."

"Thank you, Dr. Charles," she smiled graciously as her unbidden tears began to wet her cheeks, prompting him to hand her a tissue.

"I'll come back later this evening after Dr. Choi's had a chance to look at you. In the meantime the nurse should be in soon with that sedative and I want you to rest." She started to sink downward and his gentle hands reached for the blanket, pulling it up to her chest.

Since when she had she became such a needy complicated person?

* * *

Natalie opened her eyes to a darkened hospital room and the swoosh of the glass door as it slid on the tracks. She squinted against the dim light overhead and blinked. Her head was pounding and her lips felt warm as she pursed them together. Despite Dr. Choi's addition of NSAIDs, her low grade temperature was now a raging inferno.

"Will?" she grimaced, pressing her palms into the mattress so that she was sitting a little higher in the bed. Things were still fuzzy from the sedative but William Halstead was clear as day dressed a light blue chambray button down with black slacks like he'd just come from dinner or an evening out. She could tell that he was in a pissy mood by the disgruntled look on his face and the fact that he wasn't wearing scrubs or his lab coat.

"Why did you tell Choi not to call me?" He reached into the supply cart and pulled out the ThermoScan thermometer and a fresh plastic shield. He looked so coldly furious that she shivered when he placed the digital thermometer in to her ear.

She closed her eyes until she heard the beep. "It was just a fever." She was certain that Ethan prescribed the same thing that he would have or herself for that matter. In addition, Choi had given her a strong antibiotic to ward off an sort of infection.

"Just a fever?" he repeated, furrowing his brow. "Since Choi gave you the antipyretic your temperature has spiked to 101.6!" He set the digital thermometer aside and tossed the plastic tip into the trashcan, placing his hands on his hips.

"Did you even think to call someone when you realized that it gone up this high?" Doubtless, he had gone into his better than everyone else mode and was now inwardly berating himself for the things he could not control. But that did nothing for the knee jerk reaction that had just taken hold of her raw emotions.

"I was sleeping!"

"And why didn't you tell me about the PTSD? Dr. Charles said he prescribed you Prazosin," he shot back throwing out his hands like an enraged lover who had just been betrayed.

"I have nightmares, Will!" she countered before pinching the bridge of her nose. The old Will was back. Talk about Déjà vu. "Here we go again. I let you in and you push me away. Stop treating me this way!" She kept her expression schooled as she removed her hand to see his face go through a myriad of expressions; confusion, frustration and finally peace.

"And are you going to finish that statement with why me?" He folded his arms over his chest staring down her with a rueful grin. She had to try not to give him her innocent, sickly brown eyes. If she did, they would both be goners.

"Do you want me to?" She knew what would happen if she did.

He slid down onto the bed, cupping her cheek. "I don't know. But what I do know is that it's driving me crazy seeing you like this. Every time I get a call or a page, I envision you… /dead/.

He did?

"You shouldn't have to," she said lowering her lashes as he leaned in and swept a kiss to her aching forehead. His lips against her skin made her feverish body hum. Their noses bumped, and without as much of a thought she was staring into his conflicted eyes. All she needed to do was tilt her head a little more-

"Things are getting too complicated," she whispered, into his lips. They were soft and warm, just like she remembered. His hand sank to anchor her neck and she melted into a full open mouth kiss.

 **A/N: So they have kissed! But are their problems solved? And what about Jay? Was he too hard on Nat?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Happy Sunday! I want to give a shout out to guest reviewers: Natasha and LV4Manstead. Thank you for your kind words. I also gained several new a bunch of new followers! Thank you!**

The world seemed to stop when Will parted Natalie's lips.

There was sweetness to her kiss and he greedily wanted more of it. She tasted like warm honey with a hint of orange which was surprising for a woman who had been gut shot and bed ridden for three days. It must have been the remnant of the empty container orange Jell-O and warm tea. Whatever it was he liked it right up to the point that he remembered an infection that had taken over her body. Her mouth and her tongue were overly warm and he would like to think that it was from the spark that had just ignited between them but he knew better.

There was more to it: stable vital signs and improving with an overall rating of fair for discomfort and fever. He would have never known with the way she was kissing him back. It was definitely more than fair with the way her tongue was stroking his own.

He heard the clearing of a throat and tore out of the kiss prematurely, leaving Natalie stunned and wide eyed in the midst of swollen moist pink lips.

"I'm sorry," she whispered casting her gaze into the sheets. Will turned around to see Jay standing in the doorway with the uniformed officer assigned to Natalie.

Crap!

Jay scratched the side of his head. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Will's expression turned defensive, "No questions right now. Nat's not doing so hot."

"Not her, you," Jay retorted. The younger Halstead moved from the doorway back into the hall. Thankfully, he was giving them a minute to-

Will looked back at Natalie and saw that her eyes were buried in the sheets. "Little brothers have the worst timing," he quipped as she lifted her lashes to him. "Sometimes I think he does that just to be nuisance."

The corner of her mouth quirked into a smile and he squeezed her hand as Jay popped back into the doorway.

"Now Will."

"I'll be back as soon as I can and then you and I are going to talk about what just happened and this time we're not going to put it off." The first time they'd danced around avoiding the issue for several days until Nat finally brought up stating she wasn't in the right place yet.

Natalie nodded trying to hide the swipe at her cheek. Will wasn't sure if she was upset because he'd shamelessly kissed her for a second time or if she was feeling the burn of the embarrassment over Jay's sudden presence.

Either way he'd put her in an awkward position and for that she deserved an apology. She was a trusted friend, a colleague. Even though Nina had moved out they hadn't officially ended things.

Damn. Why did things have to be so complicated? But they weren't really. Sure, Nina was fun and quirky but she didn't hold his heart. Moving in together so quickly had been a mistake and one that he fully intended to atone.

Through the glass he could see Jay glaring at him from the nurse's station. Will pulled to his feet and promised Natalie he wouldn't be long. As soon as he reached the counter, he told the nurse behind the counter to start Nat on a course of Levaquin and to increase her dosage of Motrin and Acetaminophen.

The perky little brunette complied immediately.

Now to deal with Jay, "what's going on?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Jay said, pinching his upper lip with his index finger and thumb in an effort wipe away the awkwardness of the scene he had just witnessed.

Will flashed a large smile and reached over the counter for an available tablet so that he could make chart notes on Natalie while they spoke. "Nothing, Dr. Manning has a secondary infection from the gunshot wound. It's very common."

"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it. I've got to say it, Will. You're in over your head."

Will placed the tablet back into the spot he'd found it and let out a huge sigh. "It wouldn't be the first time. But do me a favor and fix your own love life."

Jay's face darkened slightly and then relaxed, "We have a problem. Someone tried to take a shot at Nina and a girlfriend as they were leaving Molly's."

Will felt his stomach bottom out if he had to guess his face was stark white. If it hadn't been for Jay's assurance that Nina and her friend were fine he probably would have vomited. He wasn't a seasoned cop like Jay. He was a doctor. Things like this didn't happen to him. The brutal attack on Natalie had been enough of a personal trauma to last him a lifetime but now Nina too?

"They're both down at district. Ruzek and Atwater are setting up a protective detail as we speak. "

Will shot a glance back into Manning's cubicle, "you think this is related to what happened to Nat?"

"Right now we just don't know," Jay said as Will watched the nurse hang a new IV bag. Natalie was in good hands. He could afford to slip away for a little bit to check on Nina. As much as he wanted to stay and sort out the impromptu kiss it was the right thing to do.

* * *

Will stood outside the small conference room across from Sgt. Platt's desk. Nina was inside was waiting on an escort to take her into protective custody. Understandably, she looked shaken. Her blonde locks that were usually pulled back neatly for an evening out were falling out from the bun. With one elbow propped she was palming her cheek.

Hesitantly, he reached for the door knob and forced himself to push through the maggots that were eating away at his stomach. It wasn't as if he could just turn his feelings for Nina off. They lived together or had lived together.

"Will?" Nina head flew upward at the sound of the door and before he could do anything about she was up on her feet throwing herself at him.

"You ok?" he asked eyeing her up and down when he pulled away. Her normally pretty eyes were red rimmed and messy mascara tear stains marked her face.

"I'm fine," she swallowed as Trudy appeared in the doorway.

"She was reaching for the door handle when a bullet took it out followed by another one that hit the driver's side window. Neither she or the friend saw a thing."

Will nodded. Jay had already filled him on the specifics but somehow seeing Nina in person made it so much worse. Trudy said something about giving them some time alone and Will caved. He pulled Nina into his arms once again, holding her tightly. "I'm so sorry," he said when they parted.

Nina's head bobbed and her voice shook as she spoke. There was desperation in her eyes that tore at his heart. "Erin said that it looks like this is related to what happened to Natalie?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "The person that shot Nat has a beef with me."

Nina's eyes widened. There was a quip to her tone along with an edge that she said she was angry. "And you're just now telling me this?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to worry you until I knew for sure," Will replied sheepishly.

Nina smiled a little. "Well, at least I know why there's been a patrol car sitting outside my Grandmother's house the last couple of days."

"It's to protect you."

"Funny, I thought that was your job," Nina she retorted quietly, tucking a fallen strand of hair behind her ear.

"Please don't start in about Natalie again. None of this is her fault." From the very beginning of their relationship, Nina made it clear that she had insecurities over Will's relationship with the pediatrician.

"I didn't say a thing about Natalie. But there you again always quick to jump to her defense"

"That's not fair," He didn't always take Natalie's side. In fact they disagreed quite often. In his defense, Nina was never around to see that part of his relationship with the E.D. assigned pediatrician.

Will's phone buzzed from the clip at his hip. "It's a text from Maggie. I have to take it."

Nina put up a hand, keeping her voice in check, "Let me guess something with Natalie."

The truth was it could be any number of patients. For now all he could see were the words Maggie Lockhart, 9-1-1 meaning that it was something urgent. He wanted to ignore it but given his calling…

Will's heart sank. All he could do was look at Nina with desperation and lie to himself. "She's a patient."

"And you're not on duty tonight. Are you?" Nina returned with a hint of icy disdain passing through her lips. If it were any other patient, Maggie would have deferred to the attending on shift.

"No"

"I rest my case," Nina's voice cracked tearing at his guilty heart. Will's eyes landed on his shoes.

"I'm sorry. I never meant for it to be this way."

Nina bit her lip, nodding again. "You and Jay can stay at my place until you can find another place to live. I'll move back in when you're gone."

"Nina-"

Platt opened the door and he stopped mid-sentence so that she could announce that the protective detail was ready for Nina.

Pressing to her tip-toes, Nina pecked his cheek. "It was fun for a while. But now it's time we both moved on."

Will's cheeks puffed up with air, his chest filing with a sense of remorseful relief as a female and a male officer escorted Nina from the room. Erin was waiting in the wings, shaking her head. Undoubtedly, Jay had filled in her.

Well, good for Jay. He and Erin were talking about Will had managed to mess up royally again. Maybe he'd be able to get things put back together with the feisty detective after all.

Will's phone buzzed again reminding him to open Maggie's text. It said two words: _Manning, hurry!_

Will hit the doorframe and saw Jay thundering down the stairs with Ruzek and Atwater trailing. "I need you take me back to Med!"

Jay was still adjusting his jacket, fast-walking towards the door. "No, you're staying here. The guy I had stationed outside of Natalie's room just had a bullet put into the back of his head."

Will took a lunge step, catching Jay by the bicep, whirling him around. "And Nat?"

 **A/N: I feel better about this story now that Nina is officially out of the picture. Don't you?** **But what about the dead police officer? Eep!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I am really touched by the reviews for the last chapter. I hope this one will be just as entertaining.**

Will swallowed down the golf ball size lump in his throat. The sight of the slain patrolman's blood against the white flooring was bad enough. But what disturbed him even more was the crimson staining the sheets of Natalie's bed. Small dots of blood indicated the guard was standing in close range of her when he was shot. At least he hoped that was case because if the blood were Natalie's then…

"Wh-Where is she?" he stared pensively trying to block the horrific images that were swirling in his mind.

"WHERE IS SHE?" He whirled around earning the attention of sympathetic and shocked co-workers.

Doris tuned her head, lifting her chin. Like the others, she too horrified to speak.

The elevator.

* * *

 **30 minutes earlier…**

"Hey there," April Sexton flashed a contagious smile at the officer standing watch she stepped into Natalie's cubicle with two bowl size tubs of Tupperware. "I brought you both some of my Mom's famous chicken soup."

The tips of officer's ears turned pink. "Thank you, Ma'am but I'm on duty."

"Well then, I'll put it in the lounge and you can have it later." April said, making her way to her sick friend." And how's our patient doing?"

Natalie looked at the pretty nurse as she set the containers of soup on the over the bed tray and frowned slightly. Next to Will, April Sexton was one of her closest friends. She loved the compassionate nurse like her own sister. When Jeff died, April and Maggie had been the ones who had pulled her grieving pregnant ass out of bed day after refusing to allow her to wallow in her pity. "Other than this infection, I'm okay." She peeled the lid from the plastic container and closed her eyes inhaling the heavenly aroma from the soup and pushed it aside. "It smells delicious."

"You're anything but okay," April pulled her lips to one corner to her mouth. "Now spill it."

"I don't know what you mean," Natalie looked down at the braid of hair hanging over her shoulder and started to pick at the ends. For a year now she'd been setting aside her feelings for Will, waiting for her grief over Jeff to pass and now that she had tested the waters and decided to move on he wasn't available.

"Don't lie to me, I know better than anyone when you're at your worst, remember?"

Natalie blew out a tense breath. There was no sense in lying to April. She would tell Maggie and then the two of them would brow beat it out of her. "All right, Will and I kissed again and it was completely my fault."

April's infectious smile grew. "Did he kiss you back?"

"April!"

"I'm just sayin' that if he did maybe you should take that as a sign." April winked as the door opened and two orderlies' appeared.

"Dr. Manning, I'm here to take you down to radiology. Dr. Scarborough has ordered a CT scan."

"Why?" Natalie's frown was back. To her knowledge her abdomen was healing just fine.

"I don't know. It just appeared on the board but I can have him paged if you like."

"No, that won't be necessary," Natalie said conceding that her colleague must have a valid reason.

"We'll talk later." April leaned in pressing her cheek against the doctor's and began to whisper. "And when we do I want to hear more about this K-I-S-S."

"Stop!" Natalie giggled as they parted and the orderlies moved in setting the bed railings firmly in place to transport. The officer who said his name was Tom fell into step behind them as they maneuvered their way to the patient elevator.

Closing her eyes, she listened haphazardly as he made small talk with the other two men until the elevator dinged and the doors opened. That was when her world came crashing down for a second time in less than a week.

"Get down!" Her eyes flew open at Tom's shout. But it was too late; a man wearing a white mask sporting a blank expression had already pulled a gun. The officer drew his weapon but white mask was faster. One shot pinged from the silencing device attached to his weapon hitting Tom on the right side of his neck.

One orderly scattered while the other pulled the bleeding officer out of the way and yelled for help but white mask's hands were already on her dragging her from the bed. A large arm wrapped around her neck holding in a choke hold style while the opposite pressed the gun to her temple.

Once the elevator doors closed, white mask released his hold and pulled a loaded syringe from the pocket his black hoodie.

"What is that?" Natalie's voice shook when he grabbed her arm reeling her back. Her knees were shaking and she whimpered as the tip of the needle punctured the skin in her neck.

"Ketamine"

* * *

"We need this door open now!" Jay yelled pressing his hands up against the silver metal.

"SWAT and Chicago Fire are on their way," Ruzek said, stuffing his phone back into the pocket of his jeans. "In meantime, Atwater and I'll take the stairs."

"Good thinking" Jay nodded, looking at this former girlfriend. "Erin will get with the hospital's technology and see try if they can locate our gunman and Doctor Manning on the video camera. If they were able to get out they could be anywhere in the hospital."

"On it," Erin answered taking off behind Ruzek and Atwater.

Jay looked at his brother. Will's face had gone almost ashen. "Ms. Goodwin and I'll start going over blueprints just in case he tried to take Natalie up into the ventilation system."

"He's going to hurt her isn't he?" Will managed.

"I don't know. All that I can promise is that I'll get her back. But I need you to remain calm and in area where a lot of people can see you."

Will's face darkened. "Natalie was in an area with a lot of people."

"Just stay out of trouble and let me handle this, please?"

* * *

Will raked his hand over his mouth and stared distantly in the direction of the nurse's station. He believed that Jay would get Natalie back but in what condition? "This is my fault," he said feeling Clarke and April step up beside him.

"You don't know that." April ran a calming down the center of his back and he flinched.

"She's right. You don't know what he wants. It may not have anything to do with you." Clarke added as Matthew Casey and crew came down the hall toward them barring Halligan bars and other tools.

"It has everything to do with me! The guy took a shot at Nina tonight!"

Clarke put his hands up in surrender. "Whoa, I'm on your side. Remember?"

"I'm sorry. Natalie and Nina it's…" Will tried to apologize as his phone started to buzz at his hip. He let it ring, letting the call go to voice mail. Whoever it was could wait. The only thing that matter right now was Casey and his team getting that door open. If Nat was inside...

As soon as the ringtone died it started again. Frustrated, he reached for it and switched it to ignore without really thinking. The number on the screen was from a blocked caller. A few moments later, a text came with a picture.

It was profile shot of Natalie. Her eyes were closed and her long dark hair was slicked back like someone had taken out from the braid she had been wearing earlier and wet it.

 _Do I have your attention now?_

 _If so, walk away and call me back._

Will's first instinct was to call Jay but instead he pressed the home button on his phone and looked around. April and Clarke were busy watching the firefighters try to pry the door open.

Without so much of a sound he slipped away and into an empty family conference room and bolted the door, pressing down on the call back button. "Where is she?" he growled at the click before the person on the other end had a chance to express a greeting. For several moments, Will heard nothing but heavy, muffled breathing.

"Answer me, damn it!"

The voice that replied was mechanical, computer enhanced. "You shouldn't have hurt Dr. Shore."

"I haven't hurt, Nina," he said, calmly. "But while we're at it, if you're concerned about Dr. Shore than how come you took a shot at her?"

There was a hitch in the man's breathing. "You hurt all women you come in contact with," he reported angrily.

Ah… so it was someone who knew his track record with women. "Like you're hurting Dr. Manning?" Will countered. "She doesn't deserve this and you know it. I suck at relationships, personal and professional. She's just another would be notch on my bed post."

"Dr. Manning is a threat to your relationship with Dr. Shore."

Will shook his head with a manic smile. "No, you had it right the first time. Dr. Manning just wants to be my colleague. We-we're friends. So why don't we talk a trade? Her for me? Because that's what you really want right?"

The heavy breathing was back. Will's insides were liquefying. What if the guy hung up? "Look, I'm a man of my word. Tell me what to you and I'll do it."

"We both know that isn't true," the mechanical voice laughed.

"DON'T HURT HER!" he yelled into the hapless cell, quickly sucking in a breath.

"Why not? Her blood is already on your hands."

There was truth in that. Evidently, his friendship with Natalie had pissed major sick-o big time and she was taking the brunt of it.

"I'll ask you again. What do you want?"

"Stand near the window."

What? Will's eyes narrowed and slowly he turned around facing the large pane of glass that reflected the Chicago night. The cars and people below looked like ants scurrying about in the glow of the street light. Sick-O's intent was clear. "Do I have your word you'll let her go?"

"Absolutely."

"How do I know I can trust you?" he asked in time with the ding of his phone. Another text. This time it was a video shot, the camera panning a familiar room: the morgue.

"She's in drawer twenty-seven B," Will felt his stomach lurch as the masked Sick-O pushed the slab into the refrigerated rectangular compartment and closed the door.

"Is she alive?"

"Very much so." The next ding was group text, sent to both Will and Jay detailing Nat's exact location. If he was telling the truth then she was safe.

Will heard the sound of the bullet cutting through glass before he felt the punch to the chest. The shot knocked him backwards onto the thin carpet and he rolled onto his stomach, his outstretched hand, inches from his phone.

 **A/N: Eep! Nobody hate me for the double cliffhanger! There is a method to my madness!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews on the last two chapters. I really appreciate that you all seem to want a quick update. Part of this next chapter is told through Jay's POV. Hence, I left our two mains unable to speak in the previous chapter. So he's filling in for them. But not to worry, there's Manstead as well.**

Will groaned as he came around to the pervasive sound of someone knocking and shouting his name. He listened to the voice until a face formed in his mind. It was Detective Erin Lindsay.

"Dr. Halstead! Are you in there?"

"I'm here!" A throbbing sensation in his chest began as soon as he tried to move.

"I'm comin' in!" Will started at the slam of the door when Erin kicked it in leaving no doubt in his mind that his brother's girlfriend or former girlfriend was quite the bad ass.

"Are you okay?" Erin knelt beside him and helped him to sit up. Normally, he would had some snarky quip springing out from his lips but his world was still spinning.

"I'm fine," he said until he was met with a searing pain in the center of his sternum. His eyes followed Erin's and landed on the shards of glass that were splintered around him.

"You're not fine. You've been shot," Erin said, quickly working the buttons of his shirt to reveal the black Kevlar underneath. "Help! We need some help in here!"

Will twisted away as she tried to push the shirt from his shoulders, "I said, I'm fine. The bullet didn't penetrate." Painstakingly, his head spun as he tried to push to his feet, gravity keeping him down. His recovery time wasn't going to be as quick as what they preached on T.V. He needed another minute or two to collect his bearings before trying again.

"I need to get to Dr. Manning!" he hissed as reality hit him. The picture of Natalie lying on a morgue slab with her eyes closed and her hair slicked back was burned into his brain. For as long as he lived that vision would never leave him.

"Jay and the others went to find her. As soon as I hear anything-" Her words were cut short with the entrance of April and Doctor Charles.

April fell to her knees beside Erin.

"What happened?" Her big brown eyes were wide as she took a cue from the Kevlar. "We need to get him to the E.D!"

Again, Will jerked. He didn't need the E.D. All he needed was Natalie.

* * *

Jay met Clarke, Ruzek and Atwater at the entrance to the morgue. "You think this guy's telling the truth?" Ruzek asked as the two junior officer's each covered side of the double swinging doors.

"We'll find out. Cover me!" Jay took the center and kicked the door going in with his weapon trained, straight into a hail of gunfire. Jay fired his weapon and rolled, hoping that Atwater and Ruzek had done the same. Staying low he took a head count. The two intelligence officers were hunkered down low waiting for his order. There was only one person missing.

"Clarke!" He shouted firing off another round at the back of the fleeing gunman.

"I'm good!" The forty something fourth year medical student was huddled tight against the door.

"Go! Go!" Jay shouted to Atwater and Ruzek who both took off in a dead run following the black blur of a suspect.

Jay holstered his weapon and started for the morgue drawers where the dead lay. "We're looking for twenty-seven B."

"There is no twenty-seven B," Clarke rushed in, explaining that morgue drawers were categorized in a series of numbers containing four digits and the letter R or F. R for refrigeration and F for freezer.

Fuck! Jay swore, pulling out his phone. "Take a look at this text and tell me this is MED's morgue and not some photo shopped enhancement."

Clarke took the phone, studying the short video of Natalie being entombed into one of the morgue drawers and nodded. He recognized a piece of cracked tile on the wall that he'd seen from a recent visit to the pathology lab. "She's here. But all of the drawers have individual key codes."

What?

"How do we get the code?"

"Nina keeps them somewhere in her office."

Jay looked around in bewilderment, his blue eyes widening. There were at least thirty, maybe forty drawers if not more. It would take then forever to punch in the key code. "What's the average temperature in one of these drawers," he asked yanking on one of the handles for good measure. It didn't budge.

"Thirty-six degrees refrigerated, thirty-two freezing." Clarke followed suit, quickly pulling drawer after drawer. "It's not the cold that will kill her; it's the lack of oxygen."

The drawers were essentially horizontal air tight refrigerators and freezers.

"What's your best estimate of time?" Jay said, punching in the speed dial for Voight while Clarke made an estimated calculation. "The drawers are anywhere from twenty to forty feet long and about two feet high. So, probably an hour?"

"An hour," Jay repeated, his mouth going dry. "It might take Voight that long to track down Nina." Protective custody protocol dictated a need to know basis. The less people who knew which safe house she'd been taken to the better.

Is there anyone else who might have the code? Another pathologist on duty?

"Goodwin will know."

Sharon Goodwin kept her unflappable expression in place. But even to someone like Jay it was apparent that on the inside she was dying. "Dr. Rogers is off to the Bahama's for a week. His daughter is getting married. Budget cuts; allow us to only have two licensed pathologists on staff."

The other one being doctor Shore.

"Joey will know," the small voice of Sarah Reese brought a smile to Clarke's face. However, Goodwin's lips were turned down. Lab Techs weren't supposed to have that type of information.

"Well find him now!"

"If needed I can have a car pick him up," Jay said as Sarah reached into the pocket of her lab coat and pulled out her tablet.

"That shouldn't be necessary. I'll just FaceTime him." The curly haired millennial quickly went to her contacts and selected the icon with Joey's picture. Even though she was dating Clarke now, Joey Thomas was a still a good friend and a member of the Chicago Med family.

Jay had to admit even he felt old when the young lab tech's face appeared and he gave Sarah detailed instructions on how to locate the codes. The one code that would unlock them all simultaneously was located on the hard drive of Nina's computer under the password: $horestead81.

Once the code was entered the doors of the morgue drawers all popped and opened electronically revealing of a variety of heads: blonde, grey, black, bald, red, brown, and one bright blue.

Jay turned around to see Will with Erin.

"Jay! Where is she?" The sound of panic in Will's voice made Jay shudder.

"What the hell happened to you?" Will's shirt was hanging open with the Kevlar peeking out.

"I thought it would be fun to play you. Now where's Natalie?"

The younger Halstead stuttered as he started to speak. The thought of someone taking a shot at Will made him flustered. He held out a hand, "He-Here somewhere, I don't know. Clarke and the others are looking now."

* * *

Immediately, Will surged forward shouting out Natalie's name.

 _Natalie!_

Frantic, he started to check all of the younger female bodies with dark brown heads. "Nat? Nat!" What if she wasn't here? What if Sick-O with the mechanical voice and mask had taken her somewhere else?

"Where is she?"

"I've got her! Over here!" Clarke shouted, waving on the two Halstead's. Jay and Erin hung back a bit letting Will take the lead.

Intense anxiety filled him. A pale blue tint around her lips made her look…

Dead.

"Is she breathing?" Will checked her respiration and watched for the rise and fall of her chest. Next, he pressed two fingers to her carotid artery. Her pulse was good and strong. As he moved his hand noticing the small puncture wound in her neck. Stretching the skin he carefully examined it.

"We may have an overdose! Somebody get a gurney over here right now!" Relying on his training to carry him emotionally, he did a once over checking every inch of exposed flesh. Despite being held captive in a refrigerated compartment, her skin was still warm to the touch. Beads of sweat were forming on her brow. Either her temperature was breaking or she was suffering from exposure.

Whoever said Sick-O was, he'd gone to great lengths to make her look like a real corpse. Will's blood began to boil at the thought that she'd been undressed and covered with white cloth about her waist so that the incision in her lower abdominal region and pelvic area were hidden. Another towel was draped over her breasts so that they were modestly covered.

Clarke appeared with a blanket and together they gently covered her before transferring her to the gurney. Together with Sarah's help, they moved in sync to the E.D. where Choi was waiting.

"I need blood labs, STAT, a I.V. and ultrasound so that I can check her abdomen," Will said as Ethan reached out to him.

"You look like you're in pretty rough shape. Why don't you let me take it from here?"

Vehemently, Will shook his head as he began attaching leads to Natalie's bare skin so they could perform an EKG. He wasn't going to leave her this time. From the corner of his eye he saw Choi frown at someone standing behind him.

Goodwin

"He's right Dr. Halstead. You're in no condition to be treating Dr. Manning."

He looked up for a brief second as one of the nurses' draped a sheet over Natalie's chest so that Will could check her abdominal wound before beginning the Ultrasound. "She's my patient. If you want me out you're going to have to drag me."

"That can be arranged you know," the voice of Conner Rhodes brought a slight smile to Halstead's face. It was nice to see that the super surgeon had cut his conference short so that could come back to support one of their own.

"Body temperature is 102.4, BP 97 over 70" one of the nurses said as Will squirted a large dollop of blue gel above Natalie's incision. He stared at the screen, running the wand over her lower stomach. "Damn, belly's filled with fluid," hence, the reason for the blue lips.

"That's my cue," Conner stepped up behind Will, clapping him on the shoulders. "You're welcome to assist me if you want. But the commando vest has to go." Will looked down. He'd almost forgotten about the Kevlar and the burn in his chest. Now that he stopped to think about it, he needed medical treatment for the doubtless cracked sternum and possible broken ribs. But it could wait.

"She's in the most capable hands of Chicago Med," Goodwin pleaded, making his brow furrow. Arrogance had always been his downfall. But this time it was more that. It was a desperate need to keep her safe and alive. And not just from a god complex point of view.

He loved her.

"I'll go scrub in."

 **A/N: Is this a cliff? I really didn't mean for it to be. This chapter was being problematic and I didn't want to keep you waiting. I promise, Nat pulls through and that the next chapter brings some much needed and earned TLC.**


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